Housing Starts Triple in Yehudah and Shomron

Housing starts in Yehudah and Shomron tripled in early 2018, according to figures published by Central Bureau of Statistics on Monday.

In the second quarter of 2018, construction for 794 new housing units began, compared to 279 in the first quarter of the year.

In the first half of 2018, construction for 1,073 housing units was begun in the region, compared to 818 in the second half of 2017.

While prospective buyers will have to wait for those homes to be finished and ready for occupancy, tourism appears to be an increasingly attractive option.

Tourism Minister Yariv Levin (Likud) declared at a Yesha meeting on Monday that the government has invested NIS 40 million ($11.15 million) in tourism in Yehudah and Shomron during his three years as minister.

“Tourism in Yehudah and Shomron is at a point of tremendous momentum,” he told leaders of Yesha, the regional umbrella council, highlighting the grants his office has given to hotels over the Green Line.

“We now have a window of opportunity to make big moves in the tourism industry and this is a time of desire that should definitely be exploited. We will continue to establish and bankroll activities in Yehudah and Shomron in addition to establishing facts on the ground,” adds Levin.

Caption

Gershon Elinson/Flash90

A sign saying Build Israel Great Again is hung during a cornerstone-laying ceremony in Efrat, last August.